PRE-ORDER: Carlo Benatti - L'organo Ottocentesco In Italia - 19th-Century [CD], Carlo Benatti, CD

The common denominator of nineteenth-century Italian music was the search for freedom and the need to rework the absolute principles that had dominated society and musical culture, seeking models that were opposed to traditional patterns. However, this revolution was often influenced by sentimentality and creative ferment from beyond the Alps. Italy experienced it's Romanticism by identifying it with the fervent aspirations of it's national Risorgimento; it's field of expression was music, particularly melodrama, a Romanticism that was popular rather than elitist. It is logical that these ideals were also expressed by theorgan, which at that time, together with the marching band, was widespread in every locality, while the orchestra was still the privilege of a select few in the big cities.The romantic organ in Italy opened up to the influence of melodramatic compositions, faded shadows of the forms made famous by the great opera composers. At the same time, some musicians were making an admirable effort to break out of the geographical and cultural boundaries of a politically fragmented territory. However, the composers' desire to adhere to the stylistic features of organ builders, as opposed to the blatant operatic taste of the public frequenting sacred places, appears noteworthy. The quality and quantity of Italian organ creativity attested to the nobility of the musicians' endeavours, even in comparison with the European international music scene.